Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (34/172)

Majmu' al-FatawaIbn Taimiya

the Most High:

“O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of Allah’s mercy. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins.”

That is, for those who repent. He also says:

“And those who do not invoke another god alongside Allah, nor kill a soul whom Allah has forbidden to be killed except by right, nor commit unlawful sexual intercourse. Whoever does these things will face punishment. His punishment will be doubled on the Day of Resurrection, and he will remain in it forever, humiliated—except those who repent, believe, and do righteous deeds. For them, Allah will replace their evil deeds with good deeds. And Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.”

In the two Sahīh collections and elsewhere, Abū Sa‘īd reports from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

“A man killed ninety-nine men, then asked who was the most learned person on earth and was directed to him. He asked him, ‘Is there any repentance for me?’ He replied, ‘Can there be repentance for you after ninety-nine killings?’ So he killed him, bringing the total to one hundred. He then remained as he was for as long as Allah willed, before asking who was the most learned person on earth. He was directed to him and asked, ‘Is there any repentance for me?’ He replied, ‘Who could stand between you and repentance? But go to such-and-such a village, for there are righteous people there, and worship Allah with them.’ Death overtook him on the way, and the angels of mercy and the angels of punishment disputed over him. Allah sent an angel to judge between them. He ordered that the distances be measured and that the man be assigned to whichever of the two villages he was nearer. They found him nearer to the righteous village, so Allah forgave him.”

“The second claim” belongs to other people. The killer must give the victim’s heirs their due by allowing them to exact retaliation, reaching a financial settlement with them, or asking them to pardon him. If he does so, he has discharged his obligation towards them. This is part of making his repentance complete.

تَعَالَى: {يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا} أَيْ لِمَنْ تَابَ. وَقَالَ: {وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إلَهًا آخَرَ وَلَا يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا يَزْنُونَ وَمَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًا} {يُضَاعَفْ لَهُ الْعَذَابُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَيَخْلُدْ فِيهِ مُهَانًا} {إلَّا مَنْ تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا فَأُولَئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا} وَفِي الصَّحِيحَيْنِ وَغَيْرِهِمَا عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ {أَنَّ رَجُلًا قَتَلَ تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ رَجُلًا ثُمَّ سَأَلَ عَنْ أَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ فَدُلَّ عَلَيْهِ فَسَأَلَهُ: هَلْ مِنْ تَوْبَةٍ؟ فَقَالَ: أَبَعْدَ تِسْعَةٍ وَتِسْعِينَ تَكُونُ لَك تَوْبَةٌ فَقَتَلَهُ فَكَمَّلَ بِهِ مِائَةً ثُمَّ مَكَثَ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ سَأَلَ عَنْ أَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ فَدُلَّ عَلَيْهِ فَسَأَلَهُ هَلْ لِي مِنْ تَوْبَةٍ؟ قَالَ: وَمَنْ يَحُولُ بَيْنَك وَبَيْنَ التَّوْبَةِ وَلَكِنْ ائْتِ قَرْيَةَ كَذَا فَإِنَّ فِيهَا قَوْمًا صَالِحِينَ فَاعْبُدْ اللَّهَ مَعَهُمْ فَأَدْرَكَهُ الْمَوْتُ فِي الطَّرِيقِ فَاخْتَصَمَتْ فِيهِ مَلَائِكَةُ الرَّحْمَةِ وَمَلَائِكَةُ الْعَذَابِ؛ فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ مَلَكًا يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ فَأَمَرَ أَنْ يُقَاسَ فَإِلَى أَيِّ الْقَرْيَتَيْنِ كَانَ أَقْرَبَ أُلْحِقَ بِهِ؛ فَوَجَدُوهُ أَقْرَبَ إلَى الْقَرْيَةِ الصَّالِحَةِ فَغَفَرَ اللَّهُ لَهُ} " وَالْحَقُّ الثَّانِي " حَقُّ الْآدَمِيِّينَ. فَعَلَى الْقَاتِلِ أَنْ يُعْطِيَ أَوْلِيَاءَ الْمَقْتُولِ حَقَّهُمْ فَيُمَكِّنَهُمْ مِنْ الْقِصَاصِ؛ أَوْ يُصَالِحَهُمْ بِمَالِ أَوْ يَطْلُبَ مِنْهُمْ الْعَفْوَ فَإِذَا فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ فَقَدْ أَدَّى مَا عَلَيْهِ مِنْ حَقِّهِمْ وَذَلِكَ مِنْ تَمَامِ التَّوْبَةِ.